Here is Reb Itchie Mayer Morgenstern's Torah on Parshas Yisro, with English excerpt and full text in both English and Hebrew in pdf form. You can send an e-mail to this address to subscribe to receive Rav Morgenstern's Torah in your e-mail box every week. “Remember the Shabbos day to keep it holy. Six days shall you
labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is Shabbos unto Hashem your G-d,
in it you shall not do any manner of work; you, nor your son, nor your daughter,
nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger
that is within your gates. For during six days Hashem made heaven and earth, the
sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. It is for this that
Hashem blessed the Shabbos day and hallowed it.”[1]
Rashi explains: “‘And do all your work’—When Shabbos
arrives, it shall be in your eyes as though all of your work is done, so that
you do not remain preoccupied with labor.”[2]
Shabbos and the Torah of
the Future
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught that in the future, “on the
day that is entirely Shabbos,” the Torah of Atikah Sesima’ah will be
revealed.[3] As the verse says: "אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל הוי"ה"—“Then [in the
ultimate future] you will delight in [literally ‘upon’] Hashem-HaVaYaH.”[4] We
will delight upon HaVaYaH, which is the level of Atikah Sesima’ah.[5] This is
the main delight of Shabbos [and this verse is part of the extended kiddush of
the morning meal].
Reb Nosson of Breslov explains that the main element
of the sanctity of Shabbos derives from the Torah of Atikah Sesima’ah that will
be revealed and shine forth in the ultimate future. Although the Torah will
never be dispensed with, G-d forbid, and one should never think that the Torah
that we have now will ever be replaced, nevertheless the purpose of the arrival
of Moshiach is to reveal a “new Torah”—to help us fulfill the Torah completely.
Even now we can see that although Hashem commanded us to “be holy”—to sanctify
ourselves to an added degree within the limits of that which is permitted to
us[6]—nevertheless it is hard for us to find and follow a path that will lead us
to fulfill this commandment completely. Similarly, we find ourselves falling
short of fulfilling all of the Torah’s mitzvos perfectly, in all of their
detail, without ulterior motives. And even though Hashem planted tzaddikim in
every generation who provide us with guidance and instruction, still we feel far
from genuine avodah because the Soton exerts efforts to upend all the best
advice and intentions.
However, when Moshiach arrives he will be known
as Pele Yo’etz—“wondrous advisor”—[because his advice will achieve its purpose
fully].[7] Then we will see the fruition of the promise: “Behold, days are
coming, says Hashem, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Yisrael
and with the house of Yehudah. It is not according to the covenant that I made
with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of
the land of Egypt, for they broke My covenant, although I was a master over
them, says Hashem.”[8] This means that true guidance will be revealed that
cannot be “broken” by the sitra achra so that the Jewish people will be able to
fulfill the Torah’s commandments completely, and then they will attain an
everlasting redemption. This level corresponds with the holiness of the Shabbos,
because Shabbos comprises the letters תשוב:"וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ"—“And
you will repent/return to Hashem, your G-d.”[9] As Rebbe Nachman expressed it,
through observing the Shabbos, one draws the light of Moshiach and of repentance
upon himself.[10]
[1] Shemos 20:7-10
[2] Mechiltah
[3] Likutei
Moharan I:49
[4] Yeshayah 58:14
[5] Zohar I:219
[6] Vayikra 19:2 and
Rashi there.
[7] Yeshayah 9:5
[8] Yirmiyah 31:30-31
[9] Devarim 30:2
[10] Sefer HaMiddos
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